Parents block school bus in protest over places

BY PAUL MURPHY

Parents protesting over the lack of places for children on a school bus blocked a Bus Eireann for 15 minutes at Grangegeeth early this morning.
The bus was due to pick up children on their way to school at Stackallan but was unable to continue its journey for a short time when parents linked arms and prevented it from proceeding.

They said they were carrying out the protest because Bus Eireann had failed to resolve an impasse over concessionary places. Several parents complained that while the company had said the situation would be resolved before today, nothing had been done and several parents had to take off work to drive their children to Stackallan.

Trevor Kirwan said that his seven-year-old son Alex Roche-Kirwan was without a place on the bus today even though the bus passed their house. He was inside the concessionary area for bus transport and all Alex's family had gone to Stackallen National School. He said the situation had not been resolved by this morning and he and his partner had had to take off work to organise transport. Fianna Fail Cllr Wayne Harding who was at the scene outside the Grangegeeth Inn said the parents were frustrated and angry because they had been promised the situation would be sorted out by today  but it wasn't.

After standing in front of the Bus Eireann bus for about 15 minutes, the parents dispersed and some of the children went on board on their way to school.